SOUTH BUCKS WARGAMES GROUP

What is Wargaming?

Wargaming began as, and still is, a method of training the military but has now become a hobby loved by millions worldwide.

The manoeuvring of lovingly painted model soldiers across modelled terrain on the tabletop is an extension of an interest in history, specifically military history.    It enables participants to show off their painting and modelling skills whilst at the same time understanding some of the problems encountered by military leaders of history.

H.G.Wells wrote a book called Little Wars in which he produced a set of rules to allow his friends to re-fight great battles of the time in his back garden.    The modern extension of this is to use accurately modelled figures on tabletop terrain created by the players.

How do I begin?

The first thing to do is to decide which period in history you like best and on which you are willing to read more as the pleasure of wargaming  is derived from an understanding of the tactics and armies of your chosen period.    Many gamers have a number of armies from different periods  and any number of unpainted figures tucked away waiting for a rainy day.

Once the period has been chosen you will need to decide which armies you want to build.    It is always best to buy at least two armies and begin small.    Decide which set of rules you intend using, this is a difficult task however if you belong to a club you may be able to try many different sets out before you decide which you prefer.

Different rule sets use a different figure to man scale, that is the number of men each figure represents.    These ratios range from one to one for skirmish games to one to fifty for larger games.    It may be best to try to find a set of rules which has a small number of figures for each unit as it means that you will have to buy less figures but still have a large game.    This will also be determined by the size of table you have available.

The next question is what figure scale do you wish to collect.    Figures come in many sizes ranging from 2mm to 54mm.    The most popular scales are 25mm (1/72), 20mm (1/90), 15mm (1/120), 10mm (1/175) or 6mm (1/30).    Generally the height of the figure in mm is the measurement between the base of the feet to eye level and although all manufacturers use the same basic scale the figures can differ in height by as much as 10-15%, so chose your figures carefully so that they are compatible with a number of manufacturers.

If you are serious then the best way to start is to find a wargames club in your local area.    The people you will find are enthusiastic and knowledgeable and will have a number of armies from different periods between them which will enable you to try out different periods and rule sets before you commit.   Many of us have made mistakes in the past.    

Now to buy your army.    You will notice by scouring the www that there are an almost infinite number of manufacturers providing an almost infinite range of figures covering all periods including the future.    Decide what you want and go for it.   Do not make the mistake of buying more figures than you can manage to paint- start small-you can always add more units as time goes by, or even begin two periods for variety.

Happy gaming !!!